April 16, 2025 5:43pm

The cell and gene therapy sector sell-off intensified as Fed Chair Powell stepped on his tongue warning on effects of the president's tariff policies

There’s a bottom forming, look min the “well” for some BUYs!

Never leave an investor uninformed!  

On point, short on words, long on facts and being judicious!

My mission is to provide clear, actionable guidance on a regular basis to help investors and traders navigate the uncertain and often irrational financial markets. I put hours of effort to create reporting, while leveraging my 40 years of operating and research experiences to analyze the key market-moving events and distill that into a cogent outlook.

 

RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: weathering econs … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13882

Tuesday night’s RegMed Investors (RMi) Closing Bell: SLIPPIN’ AND SLIDING … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13881

 

RegMed Investors (RMi) Research Note: Harvard Apparatus GT (OTCQB: HRGN), formerly Biostage (OTCQB: HRGN) The chokehold got tighter cutting-off any capacity to lift multiple going concern at-risk marker … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13812

 

Wednesday: The Dow closed DOWN -699.57 points or -1.73%, the S&P closed DOWN -120.93 points or -2.24% while the Nasdaq close DOWN -516.01 points or -3.07%

  • Indexes dived abruptly on Wednesday after getting dumped Tuesday in another volatile swing

Henry’omics: We need to more than consider the economic environment - rising rates and inflation to comprehend the micro re “our” universe of cell and gene therapy companies

  • Uncertainty ‘rules” during this so-called pause on tariff “tolls” for 90 days

Wednesday’s advance/decline line opened with a negative 2 incliner, 31 decliners and 2 flats ending with a negative close of 2 incliners, 31 decliners and 2 flats         

Metrics:  Wednesday, the IBB was down -2.06%, the XBI was down -1.41% while the VIX was up +2.52 points or 8.37% at 32.64

 

As compared to … Tuesday: The Dow closed DOWN -155.83 points or -0.38%, the S&P closed DOWN -9.34 points or -0.17% while the Nasdaq close DOWN -8,32 points or -0.05%

  • Indexes got dumped in volatile swing

Henry’omics: We need to more than consider the economic environment - rising rates and inflation to comprehend the micro re “our” universe of cell and gene therapy companies

  • Uncertainty ‘rules” during this so-called pause on tariff “tolls” for 90 days

Tuesday’s advance/decline line opened with a positive 27 incliner, 5 decliners and 3 flats ending with a barely positive close of 17 incliners, 16 decliners and 2 flats     

Metrics:  Tuesday, the IBB was down -0.45%, the XBI was flat 0.00% while the VIX was down -0.76 points or -2.46% at 30.13

 

Q2/24 - April – 5 positive and 7 negative closes

  • Q1/25 – March, 10 positive and 12 negative closes
  • February – 12 holiday, 11 negative and 7 positive closes
  • January - 2 holidays, 1 market close, 10 negative and 10 positive closes

 

Wednesday’s Closing UP (2 of 2)

  • Blueprint Medicine (BPMC +$0.66 after Tuesday’s -$1.08 and Monday’s +$1.69),
  • Brainstorm Cell therapeutics (BCLI +$0.0170)

Flat (2)

  • Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB: HRGN $0.00)
  • Homology Medicine (FIXX)

Wednesday’s Closing DOWN (10 of 31): -$ after Tuesday’s

  • Vericel (VCEL -$1.19 after Tuesday’s +$0.78 after Monday’s -$0.02),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$1.17),
  • Moderna (MRNA -$1.05 after Tuesday’s -$0.56 after Monday’s +$0.60)
  • Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ -$0.83 after Tuesday’s +$0.65 after Monday’s +$2.98),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$0.66 after Tuesday’s +$0.28 after Monday’s +$1.53)
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA -$0.50),
  • Mesoblast (MESO -$0.46),
  • Verve Therapeutics (VERV -$0.46 after Tuesday’s +$0.85 after Monday’s +$0.86),
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY -$0.43 after Tuesday’s +$9.08 after Monday’s +$2.24),
  • Regenxbio (RGNX -$0.39 after Tuesday’s +$0.22 after Monday’s +$0.44),

 

The BOTTOM LINE:  reiterating, “Tariff “tools” clog the way forward … toward continuous market appreciation beyond alternate sessions.

  • Although econs came in on target estimates
  • While volatility as investors searched for further clarity on tariff policy

Healthcare note from Tuesday:  Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) stock fell around 1% on Tuesday despite the company reporting a beat on first quarter earnings, even as concerns linger about how President Trump's tariffs will impact its medical device business.

  • J&J reported Q1revenue of $21.9 billion, beating estimates by 1.4%. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.69, beating by 6.7%.
  • JNJ raised its 2025 sales guidance Tuesday by $700 M, putting the new target at 3.3% to 4.3% growth, or a midpoint of $92 B.

 

I was once told by a “very” prominent figure early in my career, “write it right, keep it tight without hype and never lose the stride to guide the reader - me” – they were pretty simple instructions to follow!

 

Reiterating … My message, “The Trump administration … realizes drugs need to be made in America, not in foreign companies to be imported.

  • Also, most drug research is American based and if Kennedy slows or impedes their development or more – he will be bounced faster than a bond sell-off!!
  • Mark my words …!!

My perspective is to continue to nibble on sector equities, NO all ins – just add those with solid partners, lengthened runways and solid cash positions leveraged by solid management teams – there I see losses going forward!

“I hate to be so negative or contrarian but, this is a NO spin zone and truth is its product; I can always be WRONG but, I am mostly EARLY!”

  • If I have learned one thing as a former research analyst in a venture and public fund, operating executive, x-FBI, x-military officer and an adjunct (MBA) business school professor now a journalist; my life and your portfolio are largely tied to knowledge of price movements and questioning pricing targets and more.

I don’t have much to write/say other than “electronic trading and uncle algo” slips in and out, back doors reaping sector disharmony and then pops right back for some profiteering.

  • What can I say, love ‘em, leave ‘em and welcome back to save the sector’s honor – “uncle algo and his electronic dwarfs.” <me>

 

April ‘25: understand the “flow” …

  • 4/16 – Wednesday closed negative with 2 positive, 31 negative and 2 flats
  • 4/15 – Tuesday closed barely positive with 17 positive, 16 negative and 2 flats
  • 4/14 - Monday closed positive with 23 positive, 7 negative and 5 flats
  • 4/11 – Friday closed positive with 28 positive, 5 negative and 2 flats
  • 4/10 – Thursday closed negative with 4 positive, 30 negative and 1 flat
  • 4/9 – Wednesday closed positive with 33 positive, 1 negative and 1 flat
  • 4/8 - Tuesday closed negative with 4 positive, 30 negative and 1 flat
  • 4/7 - Monday closed negative with 13 positive, 20 negative and 2 flats
  • 4/4 – Friday closed negative with 3 positive, 30 negative and 2 flats
  • 4/3 – Thursday closed negative with 2 positive, 32 negative and 1 flat
  • 4/2 - Wednesday closed positive with 9 positive, 25 negative and 1 flat
  • 4/1 - Tuesday closed negative with 5 positive, 28 negative and 2 flats

 

What could 2025 have in store for the capital access space?

  • "You'll see a number of cell and gene therapy companies DESPARITE drive for financings – they’re desperate for cash, but I do think a lot of cell and gene therapy sector companies NEED to be focused on what is driving their own growth —they're focused on a lot of change BUT … that's happening in pipelines … capital expansion is second.

 

Why do I keep repeating, so investors can make the connection …

The top three (3) performing in the session:   

  • Wednesday: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC) and Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI)
  • Tuesday: Vericel (VCEL), Verve Therapeutics (VERV) and uniQure NV (QURE)
  • Monday: Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and Blueprint Medicine (BPMC)

The worst three (3) in the session: 

  • Wednesday: Vericel (VCEL), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Moderna (MRNA)
  • Tuesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Blueprint Medicine (BPMC) and Moderna (MRNA)
  • Monday: Blueprint Medicine (BPMC), bluebird bio (BLUE) and Fate Therapeutics (FATE)

 

Welcome to my world of defining the “grey’ in our universe!

  • Right up front, “I also hate to be so negative or contrarian but, this is a NO spin zone and facts are its product; I can always be WRONG but … I am mostly EARLY!”

 

Opinions expressed are those of the author and are subject to change, and not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results, nor investment advice. Whether information or intelligence is good, bad, or somewhere in between; I put into context what is relevant and useful for investors.  All investments are subject to risks. Investors should consider investment objectives.

Henry McCusker, the editor, and publisher of RegMed Investors does not hold or have positions in securities referred to in this publication. Regulation Analyst Certification (Reg AC): The research analyst primarily responsible for the content of this report certifies the following under Reg AC: I hereby certify that all views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about the subject company or companies and it’s or their securities.

I also certify that no part of my compensation was, is or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in this report.